Atthat timea friendof minehaddiedforleukemia, which at first seemed tobe overcome:the fact is thathe did not livemore thanfive monthsafter we weretold thateverythingwas fine.Later,atthe sametime asCarreras,a 20-year-oldnephewofmyboss, whom I felt great affection for, alsodiedofleukemia:hiswasveryfast. I neverunderstoodhow itwaspossible to havethisdisease,bedown the streetsohandsomeandsoondiedin lessthan a month.

Of courseIhad been afan of his since Ilearnedof itsexistence, apartfromhaving madeaTraviataandToscawith him:Iremember that somethinghappened totheblunderbuss, during the rehearsalswhen Mario was to be killed, that ajammedand putblack...my memory is a bit confused...and alsoalittle problemwiththesopranowhorefused tocontinuein thesecond act.Whatnerve!ThereI saw himfurious.